Afghanistan

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the preparations for peace in Afghanistan will make provision for dialogues at provincial and local level.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We support the Afghan Government's peace and reconciliation efforts. The Afghan Peace and Reintegration Programme has established Provincial Peace Councils in 33 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces to enable dialogue at the local level. In addition, the High Peace Council has undertaken a number of visits to provinces across Afghanistan, including Herat, Helmand, Kandahar, Balkh and Nangahar, to discuss the Afghan Government's approach.

Armed Forces: Staff

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many servicemen and women are currently receiving in-patient treatment in National Health Service hospitals, and what is the cost of this treatment to (a) the Ministry of Defence budget and (b) the NHS budget.

Lord Astor of Hever: We do not currently hold information on all service personnel receiving in-patient treatment in NHS hospitals as, for example, those that enter of their own accord are placed under a generic category by the respective hospital, thus making them difficult to identify.
	However, what can be provided are the numbers of service personnel medically evacuated currently either receiving, or waiting for, secondary healthcare within the hospitals that host our Ministry of Defence (MoD) Hospital Units (MDHUs) or at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The data have been extracted from the Defence Patient Tracking System (DPTS) as at 23 June 2011.
	There are 58 UK service personnel recorded as currently receiving in-patient treatment in NHS hospitals. In addition, there are 702 UK service personnel recorded with a future appointment expected, of which six have an in-patient appointment booked and 41 have a future appointment booked. It is not currently known whether the remaining 655 service personnel will be offered an in-patient or out-patient appointment.
	The MoD also has contractual arrangements with several NHS trusts, where it commissions elective secondary healthcare against an accelerated pathway of 10 weeks, primarily for personnel who are about to deploy on operations and who develop medical problems that place them in medically downgraded categories.
	The data provided are provisional and subject to change as the DPTS is a live system and is subject to constant updates.
	The 2011-12 budget for the treatment of Armed Forces personnel in NHS facilities is just under £21 million which includes in-patient and out-patient activity. The annual in-patient activity is projected to be approximately 9,000 personnel for 2011-12. In addition to these contracts service personnel can be treated in any NHS facility under NHS-funded arrangements, as mentioned above. The MoD does not have data for this activity and they could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Staff

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many armed forces medical staff are being employed in National Health Service hospitals, and what percentage of their work is related to non-military patients.

Lord Astor of Hever: A total of 1,162 trained defence medical personnel are currently working within host NHS Trusts. This figure is fluid as a consequence of medical personnel being deployed on operations.
	There are also a number of personnel on short-term detachments and/or locally arranged placements that have an honorary contract within an NHS hospital in order to maintain professional currency. These contracts are generally arranged by the individuals, therefore numbers are difficult to establish. There are also a number of medical personnel in training that have not been included in the figures above because they are yet to provide a service.
	It is difficult to quantify the percentage of work related to non-military patients as Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel are placed in host NHS Trusts to develop and maintain their clinical skills in order to meet operational requirements. By definition military personnel are a fit group and normally require routine, non-urgent treatment whereas DMS personnel need exposure to very sick and/or complex patients. The predominance of their clinical focus is therefore civilian, the exception to this being the care provided to operational casualties at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Aviation: Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the legal limit of exposure to mixtures of chemicals that occur when synthetic jet engine oil is heated; and whether workplace limits for exposure to those chemicals apply to the cabin and flight deck of an aircraft at altitude.

Earl Attlee: In the UK, EH40/2005 "Workplace Exposure Limits" (consolidated with amendments 2007), which is a Health and Safety Executive publication, lists workplace chemical exposure limits. Some, but not all, of these chemicals are likely to be found in synthetic jet engine oils and will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. These exposure limits would be applicable to cabin and flight crew of aircraft operated by UK airlines.

Aviation: Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Attlee on 23 June (WA 320), whether they will place a copy of the Cranfield University Research in the Library of the House, together with the page references for the information referred to in ministerial answers to Questions for Written Answer HL9569; HL9570; HL9571; HL9572; HL9573; HL9574; HL9622; HL9623; HL9625; HL9626 HL9691; HL10002 and HL10003.

Earl Attlee: Copies of the Cranfield University report have been placed electronically in the Libraries of the House. The report has not been published in hard copy. The information we have on cabin air is in the Cranfield University report. With respect to the conditions of flight experienced during the study, the report concluded that there was no evidence that pollutants were occurring in cabin air at levels exceeding available health and safety standards and guidelines. The next step is for the research studies commissioned by the Department for Transport to be referred to the Committee on Toxicity. This will be done once the last study-swab test research-has been completed by the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh.

Bahrain

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enquire about the fate of some 250 injured protesters and opposition members in Bahrain, whose whereabouts are not known.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Government continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to meet all their human rights obligations and uphold political freedoms, equal access to justice and the rule of law. We also continue to raise specific cases of particular concern. We have made clear that we expect those who have been detained to be treated in accordance with international standards.

Bahrain

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they will be seeking from the Government of Bahrain that healthcare workers will be free to treat all sick and injured persons regardless of the political affiliations of their potential patients.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We remain deeply concerned by the arrest and trial of a large number of doctors, nurses and paramedics. We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure that medical personnel can treat their patients free from political interference.

Bahrain

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to ascertain whether healthcare workers accused of anti-Government activity in Bahrain are guaranteed a fair trial.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our embassy in Bahrain has been able to attend some of the many trials currently taking place in the National Safety Courts, including the trials of the medical staff. We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain that due process is carefully and transparently followed in the trial of the 48 medical staff.

Benefits

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of household income was paid out in direct and indirect taxation by families in the lowest quintile of household income compared to households with median incomes and in the highest income quintile in the latest year for which figures are available.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope, dated July 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of household income was paid out in direct and indirect taxation by families in the lowest quintile of household income compared to households with median incomes and in the highest income quintile in the latest year for which figures are available (HL10497).
	Our analysis is provided at the household rather than family level. The table provided shows average household direct taxes, and indirect taxes, as a proportion of average household gross income in the UK, for those households in the bottom income quintile, those in the top income quintile and the mean and median averages for all households. Gross incomes include income from employment, self-employment, pensions, investment income, and cash benefits and the quintile groups are based on households ranked by equivalised disposable income.
	The mean estimates are taken from reference tables 1 and 3 of the Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income dataset, which uses data from the Living Costs and Food Survey, which has a sample covering approximately 5,500 households in the UK. The data are for 2009-10 and are the latest available. The full version of these reference tables can be accessed at the following link: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/all-fig-and-tabs-0910.xls.
	The median estimates have been calculated from the same dataset, although are not included in the published analysis.
	These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Table 1: Average gross incomes,1 and taxes by quintile groups of All households,2 2009-10 
			   Mean  Median 
			  Bottom quintile Top quintile All households All households 
			 Average per household  (£ per year) 
			 Gross income 11,730 79,889 36,373 27,494 
			 Total direct taxes 1,195 19,500 7,230 4,212 
			 Total indirect taxes 2,965 7,441 4,743 3,882 
			 Direct taxes as a percentage of gross income 10.2 24.4 19.9 15.3 
			 Indirect taxes as a percentage of gross income 25.3 9.3 13.0 14.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1 Income from employment, self-employment, pensions, investment income, and cash benefits.
	2 Quintile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income, using the modified-OECD scale.
	Source: Living Costs and Food survey, Office for National Statistics
	Background Note
	1. The mean data provided are based on data from the annual analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits in household income". The latest analysis for 2009/10 was published on the National Statistics website on 19 May 2011 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article .asp?lD=2690.
	2. The median data are calculated from the same dataset, although are not published in the ONS analysis. Headline median income data from this analysis have been provided, when requested for previous PQs.
	3. The analysis is based on data from the Living Costs and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 5,500 households in the UK.
	4. The figures are weighted by population.
	5. The income decile groups are constructed using disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as a proxy for standard of living, using the modified OECD scale.

Children's Act 1989

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost to public funds of child protection cases under Section 47 of the Children's Act 1989.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Government do not hold information centrally on the costs to public funds of undertaking Section 47 enquiries under the Children Act 1989.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government in the light of evidence linking school absences for long-term illness with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, what guidance they currently issue to schools and parents about the illness and a child's right to education outside the classroom; and what plans, if any, they have to extend this guidance.

Lord Hill of Oareford: We are committed to ensuring that children with long-term illnesses receive as normal an education as possible. Statutory guidance published jointly with the Department of Health in 2001 sets out the national minimum standards for the education of children who are unable to attend school because of medical needs. It also sets out the roles and responsibilities of mainstream schools in meeting the needs of children who are on their roll but are away from school due to illness. We do not publish separate guidance on managing specific illnesses and health conditions.
	Further guidance for schools on Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years was published in 2005. This recommended, among other things, that there should be a clear policy in each school, an individual healthcare plan for any child with medical needs, and training for staff.
	The Government will commence, from this September, the provisions in Section 3 of the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010. This will place a duty on local authorities to provide full-time education for all children who they place in alternative provision. The only exemption will be where, for reasons which relate to the physical or mental health of the child, it would not be in the child's best interests to be in full-time education.
	Current guidance will be amended to reflect this change in legislation.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether either the Civil Aviation Authority or the Health and Safety Executive are actively enforcing the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for United Kingdom aircrew; and, if they are not, what assessment they have made of why they are not doing so.

Earl Attlee: The operation of aircraft in and over Great Britain is subject to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Consequently, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 (as amended) do apply to aircraft in flight in airspace above Great Britain. However, the Civil Aviation Authority (Working Time) Regulations 2004 (as amended), also impose a duty on employers to ensure adequate health and safety protection of aircraft crew on British-registered aircraft at all times. These regulations cover aircraft in flight and are enforced by the CAA.
	The Government require that the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004 (as amended) should be enforced in a proportionate and reasonable way. The CAA's approach is to liaise with industry, agree guidance and react to complaints as appropriate.

Electronic Communications

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will meet their obligations under the revised European Union Electronic Communications Framework to ensure that disabled end-users enjoy access to communications services which is functionally equivalent to that enjoyed by other end-users.

Baroness Rawlings: The UK has met all its obligations in relation to implementation of the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework, in full and on time-one of the few member states to have done so.
	In relation to the primary new provisions on equivalence for disabled end-users the UK has met its member state obligation to enable Ofcom to specify, where appropriate, requirements to be met by undertakings providing publicly available electronic communication services to ensure that disabled end-users have equivalent access and choice in relation to electronic communications services.
	The UK has implemented these revisions by making changes to the Communications Act 2003 that make the requirements of Article 7, USD ("Measures for Disabled End-Users" within the context of Chapter II "Universal Service Obligations, including Social Obligations") contingent on Article 23a of the USD, which will allow Ofcom to make equivalence a general condition on all providers of networks and services.
	Separately, Ofcom is currently undertaking a review which will assess whether current arrangements for the provision of relay services are adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing (including BSL users) and speech-impaired end-users. This review will involve looking at, amongst other things, the existing text relay service and additional relay services, including video relay. It will also include a cost benefit analysis of the different potential options. The Government believe this is the sensible way forward and we believe it would be inappropriate to try and anticipate or influence the outcome of that review. However, we are confident it will bring improvements for disabled end-users.
	The changes that we have made to the Communications Act will enable Ofcom to deliver on the outcomes of their review.

Electronic Communications

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce universal access to video relay services to enable deaf British Sign Language users to access telecommunications services including emergency services.

Baroness Rawlings: A new article in the Universal Service Directive (USD) required member states to enable relevant national authorities to specify, where appropriate, requirements to be met by undertakings providing publicly available electronic communications services to ensure access and choice for disabled end-users. The UK has implemented this in a way that will allow Ofcom to make equivalence a general condition on all providers of networks and services.
	Ofcom is currently undertaking a review which will assess whether current arrangements for the provision of relay services are adequate in delivering equivalence to voice telephony for hearing (including BSL users) and speech impaired end-users.
	This review will involve looking at, amongst other things, the existing text relay service plus additional relay services including video relay. It will also include a cost benefit analysis of the different potential options. The Government think this is the sensible way forward, and we believe it would be inappropriate to try and anticipate or influence the outcome of that review. However, we are confident it will bring about improvements for disabled telecoms end-users.
	Article 26 of the USD requires "that access for disabled end-users to emergency services is equivalent to that enjoyed by other users". This will be a consideration in Ofcom's review of relay services. However, it is important to note that for those with speech and hearing disabilities access to emergency services is currently available through an emergency SMS facility which connects to 999 call handling facilities as well as via text relay.

Electronic Communications

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will assess (a) how many jobs would be created, and (b) the net benefit to the United Kingdom economy, of the universal introduction of video relay services.

Baroness Rawlings: The Government have not made any formal assessment of the benefits of introducing universal video relay in the UK.
	We received a substantial number of contributions (including cost benefit analysis and impact assessments) in response to our consultation on implementing the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework, many of those lobbying for the mandating of universal video relay. These included a report by Europe Economics (commissioned by the American video relay provider, SorensonsVRS, and included in its response). Whilst these figures have been drawn up with a view to making a case for video relay, we do not doubt that the economic and social situation of many BSL users is improved by access to video relay. It should be noted that video relay is available on a commercial basis in the UK, financed for many users by the Department for Work and Pensions' Access to Work scheme.
	Separately, Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision in the UK. This review will look at relay services including video relay and will include the costs and benefits of the different potential options. The Government believe this is a sensible way forward but it would be inappropriate to attempt to anticipate or influence the outcome of this review. However, we are confident it will bring benefits and advances in equivalence for disabled end-users.

Energy: Fuel Poverty

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Marland on 20 June (WA 242), why they have stopped collecting data for the local authority fuel poverty indicator and replaced them with central modelling for all local authorities by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Lord Marland: The fuel poverty indicator (NI187) imposed a burden on local authorities for the collection of data and did not measure fuel poverty consistently. As such, the obligation to collect and report these data was removed from local authorities in line with the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in October 2010. The indicator estimated the proportion of dwellings occupied by benefit recipients in each area that were either energy-efficient (SAP 65 and above), or energy-inefficient (SAP 35 and below) which is not a measure of fuel poverty. Modelled data, published by DECC and produced centrally, estimate fuel poverty consistently and on a similar basis to that used for the national statistics on fuel poverty. It places no burden on local authorities. In addition, users and local authorities responded positively to a consultation carried out in 2009 on the modelled sub-regional data.

Energy: Fuel Poverty

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pensioners in the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London were living in fuel poverty in each of the years since 1996 up until the last year for which records are available.

Lord Marland: Sub-regional fuel poverty estimates are not available split by economic status, ie for pensioners or other groups. The table below shows the number of fuel poor households in England containing someone aged 60 or over in each of the years 2003 to 2008 (the only years for which this information is currently available).
	
		
			  Number of households containing someone aged 60 or over in fuel poverty in England (rounded to nearest thousand) 
			 2003 634,000 
			 2004 604,000 
			 2005 794,000 
			 2006 1,285,000 
			 2007 1,462,000 
			 2008 1,720,000 
		
	
	The following table shows the total number of households (ie regardless of economic status) and proportion of households in fuel poverty in each of the London boroughs in 2008:
	
		
			 Borough Estimated number of households in fuel poverty (rounded to nearest 100) % of households fuel poor 
			 City of London 300 7.0% 
			 Barking and Dagenham 8,100 12.1% 
			 Barnet 12,900 10.1% 
			 Bexley 8,200 9.4% 
			 Brent 12,900 12.7% 
			 Bromley 11,200 9.0% 
			 Camden 11,000 11.9% 
			 Croydon 13,100 9.5% 
			 Ealing 12,000 10.1% 
			 Enfield 12,600 11.3% 
			 Greenwich 10,900 11.2% 
			 Hackney 12,100 13.5% 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,700 11.5% 
			 Haringey 12,000 12.7% 
			 Harrow 7,900 10.0% 
			 Havering 9,200 10.1% 
			 Hillingdon 8,500 8.9% 
			 Hounslow 8,000 9.3% 
			 Islington 11,000 12.5% 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 9,200 11.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 5,400 8.8% 
			 Lambeth 13,700 11.3% 
			 Lewisham 11,600 10.9% 
			 Merton 7,200 9.1% 
			 Newham 13,000 13.7% 
			 Redbridge 10,100 10.8% 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6,500 8.6% 
			 Southwark 12,300 11.3% 
			 Sutton 6,600 8.7% 
			 Tower Hamlets 9,900 11.2% 
			 Waltham Forest 10,600 12.0% 
			 Wandsworth 10,800 9.2% 
			 Westminster 10,800 11.6% 
		
	
	Similar data for fuel poverty in London boroughs (and other sub-regional geographies) are available for 2006 on the DECC website at http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/fuelpovstats/archive/archive.aspx, and for 2003 at http: //www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/newfpi.php?mopt=1&pid-defining.

Energy: Nuclear Power Stations

Lord Reay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the load factors for each nuclear and gas-fired power station in the United Kingdom for each of the past five years; and what were the reasons for any variations from year to year.

Lord Marland: Load factors for individual stations are treated as commercially sensitive. However, DECC publishes aggregated load factors annually in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES). Table 1 gives the load factors for nuclear and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) stations for the past five years. 2009 is the latest year available; data for 2010 will be published at the end of July 2011.
	
		
			 Table 1: Load factor (%) 
			 Year Nuclear CCGT 
			 2005 72.4 60.9 
			 2006 69.3 55.1 
			 2007 59.6 64.3 
			 2008 49.4 70.9 
			 2009 65.4 62.8 
		
	
	Source: Table 5.10 DUKES 2010
	Power stations do not operate at 100 per cent as the system needs to respond to changes in demand for electricity. CCGT output largely follows changes in electricity demand during the day and the relative price between gas and coal. The load factor fell in 2009 due to lower electricity demand, the increase in nuclear output and an increase in capacity as a new station opened.
	Load factors at nuclear stations are lower in recent years compared to the peak of 80 per cent seen in the late 1990s. This is due to an increase in maintenance work. In 2008 the load factor was particularly low due to additional outages at Heysham and Hartlepool.

Energy: Nuclear Tests

Baroness Brinton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of all documents held by the Ministry of Defence, Atomic Weapons Establishment and external agencies relating to the planning and execution of the British nuclear tests and subsequent clean-up operations have been disclosed.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of all documents held by the Ministry of Defence, Atomic Weapons Establishment and external agencies relating to the planning and execution of the British nuclear tests.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence and its external agencies release records to the National Archives in accordance with the Public Records Act 1956. The MoD withholds from release to the public at the National Archives files that are over 30 years old, or extracts from them, if and for so long as their contents are judged to be sensitive.
	In relation to nuclear test veterans and recent legal proceedings, the MoD has within the context of the High Court and the War Pensions Tribunal proceedings worked to ensure that all relevant material from classified documents can be used, subject to special security arrangements. As part of this process the MoD conducted a major disclosure exercise in 2008 which has continued into 2011 and over 12,000 documents have been disclosed. The Court of Appeal judgment on the nuclear test veterans' group action on 22 November 2010 noted that the MoD had taken its duty of disclosure very seriously.

EU: Budget

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the level of funding and staffing of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Institute for Gender Equality compares with that of the European Human Rights Commissioner.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Institute for Gender Equality received a total contribution from the EU budget of €7.5 million in 2011. The 2012 EU budget is still being negotiated. Staff numbers were 27 in 2011.
	The EU Agency for Fundamental rights received a total contribution from the EU budget of €20 million in 2011. The 2012 EU budget is still being negotiated. Staff numbers were 72 in 2011.
	The Human Rights Commissioner's allocation from the Council of Europe's 2011 ordinary budget was €4,756,600. In addition, the EU contributed €1,586,400. In 2011, it had a total of 31 staff: 22 permanent; four temporary; and five officials seconded from national Administrations.

EU: Financial Assistance to Member States

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Bank of England has accepted or guaranteed, in whole or in part, debt issued by the Government of Greece or institutions from that country as security for loans to the European Central Bank.

Lord Sassoon: The Bank of England has not guaranteed, or accepted, any debt issued by the Government of Greece or by institutions from that country, either as collateral or outright holdings in any of its operations.
	The Bank's sovereign collateral policy for transactions conducted under the Sterling Monetary Framework is available at: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/marketnotice110211.pdf.
	Debt issued by the Government of Greece, or by institutions from that country, is not eligible. The Bank has a swap line with the European Central Bank, where drawings are collateralised by euro cash (see http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2010/148.htm).

EU: Taxation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 16 June (WA 207-8) concerning the taxation of savings, how many bank account details have been disclosed to other European Union nation states; and which states they are.

Lord Sassoon: In 2010, HM Revenue and Customs provided the tax authorities of other member states with the number of records of savings interest payments, as set out below1:
	
		
			 Member State 2010 
			 Austria 8,636 
			 Belgium 14,130 
			 Bulgaria 1,770 
			 Cyprus 27,523 
			 Czech Republic 3,586 
			 Denmark 5,151 
			 Estonia 351 
			 Finland 2,398 
			 France 123,492 
			 Germany 76,628 
			 Greece 35,319 
			 Hungary 3,504 
			 Ireland 71,675 
			 Italy 30,362 
			 Latvia 896 
			 Lithuania 2,499 
			 Luxembourg 1,069 
			 Malta 11,543 
			 Netherlands 20,906 
			 Poland 14,009 
			 Portugal 16,138 
			 Romania 2,741 
			 Slovakia 1,913 
			 Slovenia 347 
			 Spain 101,735 
			 Sweden 10,040 
			 Total 588,361 
		
	
	1 The number of records are not a precise reflection of the number of savings accounts as they include some corrected or replacement records which cannot be separated out from the totals.

Exports

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Scotland Office intends to develop exports with competitive technological and commercial capabilities.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my noble friend Lady Wilcox (Official Report, 22 June 2010, col. WA 304).

Exports

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Department for Transport intends to develop exports with competitive technological and commercial capabilities.

Earl Attlee: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my noble friend Lady Wilcox on 22 June 2011 (Official Report, col. WA 304)

Exports

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Wales Office intends to develop exports with competitive technological and commercial capabilities.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Wales Office works closely with both the relevant Whitehall departments and the Welsh Government to boost Welsh exports across a range of sectors.

Forestry Commission

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of any forthcoming redundancies on the work of the Forestry Commission.

Lord Henley: As with many other parts of the public sector, the Forestry Commission must work within a challenging spending review settlement, reflecting the Government's determination to tackle the nation's financial deficit.
	Forestry Commission England has developed proposals to operate within a reducing budget over the spending review period. Resources will be focused on priority programmes set out in Forestry Commission England's corporate plan for 2011-15, which is available on its website.

Government Departments: Scientific Advisers

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser for the Wales Office; and (a) when they were appointed and for how long, (b) what is their academic or experience background, (c) what is their civil service rank, (d) whether their post is full-time or part-time, and what other work commitments they have, and (e) on how many occasions during the past year they have had meetings with the Secretary of State for Wales or the Minister to whom they have direct responsibility.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: No such position exists within the Wales Office.

Government Departments: Scientific Advisers

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Marland on 20 June (WA 242-3), how many scheduled meetings have been held between the departmental Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Secretary of State at DECC between 31 May 2010 and 1 June 2011.

Lord Marland: DECC's Chief Scientist and Secretary of State have met frequently between 31 May 2010 and 1 June 2011. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to reveal details of such meetings.

Government: Ministerial Meetings

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what bilateral meetings between Ministers and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Natural Environment and Fisheries since May 2010 have included either rural affairs or biodiversity as agenda items.

Lord Henley: Ministers regularly meet colleagues to discuss a range of issues as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Health: Epilepsy

Baroness Ford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the provision of specialist epilepsy nurses.

Earl Howe: Local National Health Service organisations are responsible for the skill mix of their work force, including the number of specialist epilepsy nurses. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local community and must have the freedom to train and deploy staff in ways appropriate for local conditions.

Houses of Parliament: Visitors

Lord Berkeley: To ask the Chairman of Committees what plans he has to reduce queuing times and improve shelter for members of the public visiting the parliamentary estate.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Administration are aware that there are sometimes long queues at the Cromwell Green Entrance and the matter is currently under consideration by the Parliamentary Visitor Board, which is considering proposals to provide shelter for guests arriving at this entrance. Black Rod's Garden Entrance has recently been refurbished and a second search lane has been added. This has relieved pressure from the Cromwell Green Entrance as all Lords' banqueting guests can now be admitted via Black Rod's Garden Entrance. In order to further relieve pressure on the Cromwell Green Entrance, a trial is being conducted to assess the impact of some visitor route tours beginning at Black Rod's Garden Entrance, and a proposal is also being developed to make improvements to the search lanes in Portcullis House.

Isle of Man

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any correspondence they hold from the Government of the Isle of Man about proposed nuclear developments in west Cumbria; and what discussions or correspondence they have had with the Government of the Isle of Man on this subject.

Lord Marland: DECC officials attend a number of forums at which representatives of the Isle of Man Government are present and discussions will have covered a number of issues, including those relating to the nuclear sector. We do not, as a matter of course, place copies of correspondence between the UK and other Governments in the Libraries of the House.

Israel: Property

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of exhibitions in London advertising property to buy in illegal Israeli settlements.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We make clear through our travel advice that there are risks involved with purchasing property in Israeli settlements on land considered to be occupied under international law, in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan.
	Potential purchasers should be aware that a future peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, or between Israel and Syria, could have consequences for property they purchase in these settlements. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not offer legal advice on or become involved in private property disputes.
	We voted in favour of a key UN Security Council Resolution on settlements in February because our views on this issue are clear: settlements are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and constitute a threat to a two-state solution. All settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem, should cease immediately.

NHS: Productivity

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 24 March (WA 203), what are the measures of quality used to adjust the growth in the volume of outputs in NHS productivity calculations; how each measure of quality is calculated; and how it affects the productivity calculation.

Earl Howe: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 4 July (Official Report, col. WA 19-21).

Northern Ireland Office: Correspondence

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what correspondence took place between the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in May 2011; and whether they will place copies in the Library of the House.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: The following letters between the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) during May 2011 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses:
	letter dated 18 May 2011 from PS/Secretary of State to the NIHRC Director;letter dated 24 May 2011 from Director-General NIO to NIHRC Director; andletter dated 31 May 2011 from PS/Secretary of State to NIHRC Director.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 23 November (WA 313) about qualifications for membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, why an applicant's support for human rights is not a condition for qualification.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: As previously stated in the Answers given on 10 November 2010 (Official Report, col. WA 89), and 23 November 2010 (Official Report, col. WA 313), all appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission are on merit and take place via open competition, regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). In accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, when setting the selection criteria, appointments panels must "ensure that these do not contain requirements which are unnecessary or may deter applications from a particular group within society". As my previous answer of 23 November 2010 (Official Report, col. WA 313), suggested, applicants' approval of particular individual or collective rights is not among the criteria required for appointment. The Government are not seeking a body of commissioners who are all of the same outlook. Knowledge and understanding of human rights issues is, however, a criterion for appointment.

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Northern Ireland Office has awarded bonuses to staff and members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in the last three years; to whom; how much; and why each bonus was given.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: The Northern Ireland Office does not award bonuses to staff and members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 20 June (WA 255-6) regarding the 3,300 Olympic tickets to be allocated to business leaders and dignitaries, how many will be allocated to FIFA.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: No tickets will be allocated to FIFA. As with all international federations, FIFA is able to order a small number of tickets from the London Organising Committee for their sport and a limited number for the opening and closing ceremonies. This is a contractual commitment.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the resources allocated to delivering a London 2012 sporting legacy for young people will be spent in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland, and (d) Wales.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The London 2012 Games provide an opportunity for a sporting legacy across the UK. However, sport is a devolved matter and it is for the home sports councils to decide what resources to allocate to deliver a sporting legacy from the 2012 Games. Sport England's £135 million mass participation initiative Places, People, Play, includes Sportivate, a €32 million lottery programme that will give 14 to 25 year olds access to six-week courses in a range of sports. Sport England are also making £35.5 million available for the School Games in England up to 2014-15. The UK Government are hopeful that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will participate in this national event, building on the traditions of the current UK School Games. Sir Menzies Campbell was appointed as an ambassador for the School Games, with a focus on securing a UK-wide legacy for the School Games programme.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the Nations and Regions Group to ensure that the Places People Play initiative is extended throughout the United Kingdom.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The Nations and Regions Group, established by the Government Olympic Executive and the London 2012 Organising Committee, works directly with each UK nation and region to help them realise and maximise the benefits from the economic, sporting and cultural opportunities offered by the Games. Places People Play is a Sport England initiative to deliver a mass-participation legacy for England, which Sport England has allocated a proportion of its National Lottery funding to deliver. As sport is a devolved matter, it is for the home sports councils to decide how to apply their National Lottery funding.

Pakistan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Pakistan about the 2002 executive order which denied 4 million Ahmadiyya Muslims the right to vote, unless they are willing to sign a declaration denouncing their own community.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We frequently engage the Pakistani authorities on the protection of minority groups, including specifically on the issues facing the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan. Most recently our High Commissioner to Pakistan stressed the importance of interfaith harmony with a range of religious leaders in the Punjab in June. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) discussed religious freedom with the newly appointed Pakistan Prime Minister's adviser on interfaith harmony and minority affairs in May. He also met with religious leaders from across Pakistan as part of the Ministry's Interfaith Council. Ministers and our High Commission in Islamabad will continue to maintain regular contact.

Pakistan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Pakistan about violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslims; and what assessment they have made of the threats and intimidation against that community in the United Kingdom.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We frequently engage the Pakistani authorities on the protection of minority groups, including specifically on the issues facing the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan. Most recently our High Commissioner to Pakistan stressed the importance of interfaith harmony with a range of religious leaders in the Punjab in June. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) discussed religious freedom with the newly-appointed Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Interfaith Harmony and Minority Affairs in May. He also met with religious leaders from across Pakistan as part of the Ministry's Interfaith Council. Ministers and our High Commission in Islamabad will continue to maintain regular contact.
	The Ahmadiyya community has raised their treatment in the UK with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and we have discussed this with the Home Office. The Government take very seriously their responsibility to protect religious groups in the UK.

Pakistan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of the Government of Pakistan ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and signing both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Pakistan ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 17 April 2008. Pakistan signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 17 April 2008 and ratified it on 23 June 2010. Pakistan signed the Convention against Torture and other forms of Cruel and Unusual Punishment (CAT) on 17 April 2008 and ratified it on 23 June 2010.
	Pakistan lodged a number of reservations against the ICCPR and CAT upon ratification. The UK, along with EU partners, has worked with Pakistan to address these reservations. We welcome the statement issued by the Pakistani Prime Minister's office on 22 June announcing that they would withdraw the majority of their reservations against both treaties. The UK lodged objections against Pakistan's current reservations on 28 June. Once Pakistan has formally lodged changes to its reservations, we will consider our response to their changes carefully.

Prisoners: Transfers

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask the Prison Service to conduct an investigation into the alleged practice by prison governors of transferring certain prisoners to other establishments in advance of an inspection by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Lord McNally: Following allegations that prisoners had been transferred in advance of inspections between Pentonville and Wandsworth in 2009 and from Brixton in 2008 the National Offender Management Service conducted investigations which found that this had been the case. Disciplinary proceedings followed. The then Justice Secretary also commissioned a wider review of the transfer of prisoners prior to inspection which was published on 11 March 2010. The review was conducted by the director of analytical services at the Ministry of Justice and HMCIP.
	Following this work, the report concluded that there was no evidence that the practice identified in the transfers between Wandsworth and Pentonville and also at Brixton took place at any other prison.

Public Sector: Staff

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any positions in public sector employment that require applicants in same-sex relationships to declare that they are celibate.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: This information is not held centrally. To collate it in the form requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Railways: Ebbw Valley

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current timetable for extending the Ebbw Valley line from Ebbw Vale Parkway to Ebbw town; and how much it will cost.

Earl Attlee: Train services on the Ebbw Valley line are specified by the Welsh Government and it is for them to determine plans and identify costs to extend the current service from Ebbw Vale Parkway.

Railways: High Speed 2

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the first phase of the proposed High Speed 2 line, whether trains operating on HS2 and beyond its limits on the conventional rail network will be capable of tilting on the conventional network.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the first phase of the proposed High Speed 2 line, what is the expected journey time from London to Glasgow using HS2 with and without tilting on the conventional network, compared with existing journey times.

Earl Attlee: At this early stage in the Government's proposals for a high-speed rail network, no decisions have been made regarding the detailed specification of rolling stock. At this point however, the Government do not anticipate that trains operating on HS2 will be capable of tilting, either on the high-speed network or on the conventional network. This is because tilting trains are necessarily heavier than non-tilting trains, and increasing the weight of a vehicle ultimately results in a reduction of maximum speed. This means that a tilting train would not be able to operate at speeds of 225 mph or 250 mph as required by the HS2 route.
	We tested our assumptions on tilting trains both with train manufacturers and with our technical challenge panel, who agreed with our conclusions. It is possible that future technology would permit a tilting high-speed train to be built, but no manufacturer could visualise and offer either credible costs or likelihood of successful commercial development of such a product. There are currently no tilting high-speed trains anywhere in the world.
	Services running off HS2 onto the west coast main line to continue to Scotland would be speed-limited by the curvature of the route in a number of locations. However there is scope for increasing the non-tilt line speed from 110 mph to 125 mph or higher at a number of locations. Between Lichfield-where HS2 rejoins the WCML-and Glasgow, the difference in time between a non-tilting 110 mph train and a tilting 125 mph Pendolino is estimated to be 13 minutes. HS2 Ltd believes that by reviewing the assumptions behind the WCML upgrade works it should be possible to run non-tilting trains at 125 mph for lengthy sections, and thereby regain 6 or 7 of the lost 13 minutes. Similarly from Lichfield to Manchester a 110 mph non-tilt train would lose two minutes, of which we believe one minute could be regained. The HS2 business case is based on these journey time assumptions.
	A high level assessment of journey times indicates that the London to Glasgow journey would take four hours using a London to the West Midlands high-speed line, reducing to three hours and 30 minutes once the Y network became operational. This compares to a current, standard journey time of four hours and 30 minutes.

Roads: Dartford Crossing

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the gross and net takings at the Dartford Thames crossing.

Earl Attlee: The Highways Agency publishes accounts annually for the Dartford-Thurrock crossing charging scheme, which are laid before Parliament. Information for the periods 2003-04 to 2009-10 is available from the Library of both Houses and also available from the Highways Agency website at: http://www. highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4068.aspx.
	The latest published accounts for 2009-10 show for the year ended 31 March 2010, gross income was £71.8 million and net proceeds was £37.2 million.

Royal Yacht "Britannia"

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will refit the Royal Yacht Britannia so it can re-enter the service of Her Majesty the Queen in the year of her Diamond Jubilee.

Lord Astor of Hever: There are no plans to refit the former Royal Yacht "Britannia". Since the ship's decommissioning and sale to Forth Ports Ltd in April 1998, "Britannia" has been preserved and operated by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust as a popular tourist attraction.

Schools: Free Schools

Lord Knight of Weymouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) civil servants in the Department for Education, (b) staff of the DfE's arm's-length bodies, and (c) contractors working for either the DfE or its arm's-length bodies are currently working on the free schools policy.

Lord Hill of Oareford: As at 27 June 2011, there are around 100 civil servants in the department's Free School Group employed on policy and implementation work in connection with free schools, and a further 15 involved with university technical colleges and studio schools.
	Further support is provided by Partnerships for Schools (PfS) and the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA). Neither organisation is structured to dedicate full time individuals or teams to any one policy but instead work across a broad range of projects in parallel. As a result, a number of officials from these organisations have been engaged in free schools work at different stages.

Sunday Trading

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (a) trade unions, (b) retail organisations, and (c) other groups, on Sunday trading since September 2010.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have (a) assessed, and (b) commissioned since September 2010, into the social implications of relaxing Sunday trading restrictions; and whether they will assess possible effects of easing or removing Sunday trading restrictions on (1) parental involvement in children's education, and (2) parent-child contact time.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they (a) have conducted since September 2010, and (b) plan to conduct in the next six months, on the likely impact of proposed changes to the Sunday Trading Act 1994 on shops of under 3,000 square feet.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the law on Sunday trading during the next two years.

Baroness Wilcox: Since September 2010, my department has received 2,695 responses about Sunday trading legislation, via the Government's Red Tape Challenge. These included representations from a trade union, small retail businesses, faith groups and individuals. In that period the department also directly received two representations from a trade union and three from individuals, two of which were sent via their Member of Parliament. The department has also responded to ten parliamentary Questions since September 2010 on the subject.
	The Government have not commissioned any research into relaxing Sunday trading restrictions since September 2010 and at present have no plans to do so. The Government currently have no plans to change the law on Sunday trading.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sentencing of Mrs Emine Ayna and Mr Hatip Dicle under Turkish anti-terrorism law, after both were elected to the Grand National Assembly; and whether they will make representations to the Government of Turkey and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Government do not plan to make specific representations to the Government of Turkey and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on these cases. It is not UK Government practice to comment on individual judicial processes, but we expect high legal and judicial standards to be observed. Our embassy in Ankara will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any commitments were obtained from airlines to use a proposed extended runway in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, before construction commenced.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Work on Providenciales Airport runway resurfacing and extension project began in July last year, and will soon be completed. Prior to the start of the project, commitments were secured from WestJet, Continental and Jet Blue, and all three airlines have commenced flights to the Turks and Caicos Islands since the project began. The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority has also been in discussion with a number of other airlines that are awaiting the extension either to introduce flights, new aircraft types or to extend their operations.

Vehicles: Electric

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that electric powered vehicles will be audible to walkers, cyclists and riders using rural roads in all weathers.

Earl Attlee: The Department for Transport is working with international bodies to draft recommendations on adding artificial sound to quiet vehicles. Such recommendations may specify the characteristic of the sound and the speed up to which such sound should be generated. Tyre noise is an important source of noise at speeds found on rural roads where noise levels from electric and conventional vehicles are similar. The Department for Transport will soon be publishing the report of research on the audibility of electric vehicles.

Waste Management: Fly Tipping

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the cost to the United Kingdom economy of fly-tipping on private land.

Lord Henley: We are working in partnership with the Environment Agency and a number of private landowners to improve the data available on incidents of fly-tipping on private land, given there is no reporting requirement. At present the data available do not permit us to make an assessment of the cost of these incidents to the UK economy. The partnership project with the Environment Agency includes the National Farmers Union and the Country Land Association, who have reported instances of fly-tipping on private land in pilot areas (West Midlands and the north-west) since April 2009, and later nationally, to the national fly-tipping database (Flycapture). There have been low levels of reporting to the database, and between April 2009 and March 2011 a total of 1,827 instances were recorded by all private landowners in the project. We are working with landowners and the Environment Agency to try to increase the number of landowners who report this data to the Flycapture database.